Bad Carbon Karma: Lawyer Flies from Oregon to Saudi Arabia Every Three Weeks
May 2, 2008 · Print This Article
Thomas Nelson, a lawyer from Oregon, regularly flies back and forth to Saudi Arabia to visit a client who can’t fly to the U.S. That’s ‘regularly’ not as in once or twice a year, but every three weeks. Nelson says he’s forced to do so because his client faces charges here for financing terrorism, and that he’s afraid to communicate via telephone or email due to possible surveillance.
From the New York Times:
Because he is constantly shifting time zones to see his client face to face, “I just don’t sleep normally anymore,” Mr. Nelson said. “But I don’t have a choice. It’s very clear to me that anything I say to my client or to other lawyers in this case is being recorded.”
Across the country, and especially here in Oregon, it seems, lawyers who represent suspects in terrorism-related investigations complain that their ability to do their jobs is being hindered by the suspicion that the government is listening in, using the eavesdropping authority it obtained — or granted itself — after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
There are all kinds of issues in play here, not the least of which is the creepy fact that the government is able to violate lawyer-client privilege by snooping on their communications. But there’s an unspoken aspect to it: what about all of the carbon being produced by the constant unnecessary flights? Oregon to Saudi Arabia is a very long trip – and as the article suggests, Nelson isn’t the only one making frequent flights like this. I can only imagine how large this guy’s carbon footprint is. It’s stupid and definitely bad for the earth…
Link [New York Times]
Photo credit: Karl Dolenc
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To say nothing of the fact that there is encryption technology out there that even the Feds can’t break- PGP
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Good_Privacy
Those lawyers need some smart techie friends to help them save some flying time.
Until we get wise and get desert/solar electric and battery cars going, the Saudis and their oil rule! Kiss that ass right on the brown button every three weeks even if you are sleepy, because we need to wear out our SUVs before we can buy a Prius or VW bio-diesel/electric hybrid.
Some day, when the people rule America again, we will only work when the deserts give use electricity to do so, and the greedy outsiders and corporations can go f**k themselves because we will have gardens at our solar powered eco-homes and not be ransomed for each meal. That also means only day shifts, afternoon shifts and cloudy days will be family days, a more humane, American way to live We will no longer build ‘McMansions” to make developers and manufacturers rich and we will insist on longevity and durability in our products instead of model changes every year for our ego-titillation. We will strive for sustainability and worship renewability the way we worship style and bauble-riches today. We will have been taught a lesson by the depression and we will have grown up and be one step closer to Waldon Pond and a new reality for Americans.